Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Opportunities for Berkeley Schools

A partnership between City of Berkeley Public Health Division Injury Prevention Program and Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools

All of the following projects are entirely free of charge to Berkeley Public Elementary Schools & after-school

programs. Some programs are available on a first come, first served basis.

The City of Berkeley Injury Prevention Program aims to reduce unintentional injuries related to bicycle & pedestrian collisions for children in Berkeley and offers the following programs to Berkeley schools. To schedule any of the following programs, contact Amy Ranger, Injury Prevention Program Manager, 510-981-5326 or aranger@cityofberkeley.info

⇒⇒⇒⇒ Safety Workshops The City of Berkeley offers safety workshops that incorporate fun, interactive learning games, with the goal of

teaching students safe walking and rolling habits. Workshops are offered to any elementary school classroom

or after-school program. The K - 2nd

grade workshop covers pedestrian safety and the 3rd

-5th

grade workshop

covers bicycle, scooter and skateboard safety. 3rd

-5th

grade workshops include free helmets (or helmet

vouchers) for all students.

⇒⇒⇒⇒ SafetyVille Mock City Events Through Cycles of Change, we host traffic safety

events incorporating a “SafetyVille” mock city.

The town is an interactive exercise that allows

students to learn about safety by walking and

bicycling through a miniature city. It consists of

streets, sidewalks, intersections, crosswalks, traffic

signs and signals, residential areas, business

districts, cars, trucks and a railroad track with

signals, crossing gate and train. It is designed to simulate diverse traffic environments and to create problem-

solving experiences for each grade level. Grades K-3 walk through the course

and grades 4-5 have the option to walk or bike.

⇒ Berkeley Family Festival & Bike Rodeo Each summer, the City of Berkeley hosts a city-wide health and safety festival at

San Pablo Park in south-west Berkeley. The event includes a safety town and

obstacle course, slow races and boulevard tours, route mapping, the Bike Blender

to make smoothies, safety workshops, bicycle maintenance, health screenings,

raffle, information tables and much more! All children that participate in the

festival receive a free helmet. This year’s Festival is scheduled for Saturday,

June 13th

2009.

⇒ Bicycle Helmets Every student who participates in a bicycle safety workshop or the Berkeley

Family Festival receives a free bicycle helmet! Helmets are also available to the

public by calling the Berkeley Public Health Department.

City of Berkeley Injury Prevention programs are funded by a grant from the Office of Traffic Safety through the

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Safe Routes to Schools Alameda County promotes walking and biking to schools and within communities and offers the following programs to Berkeley schools. To schedule any of the following programs, contact: Susan Silber, Education Coordinator, 510-740-3150x332, susan@transformca.org

⇒⇒⇒⇒ “A Breath of Fresh Air” School Puppet Assembly Safe Routes to Schools Alameda County is offering performances of

the puppet show, “A Breath of Fresh Air: The Walk and Roll

Solution” performed by The Big Tadoo Puppet Crew to elementary

schools in the 2008-2009 school year. The 30-min show blends

imaginative puppets and music into a fun and educational story about

all the elements of the journey to school (safety, health, physical

activity, discovery and decision-making). The puppet show is

available as an assembly to grades K-2 and 3-5.

⇒ Walk Audit Conducted by an experienced planning and design firm, this activity engages parents, school staff, Public

Works representatives, traffic safety officers and other community leaders in identifying needed improvements

for safer walking and biking routes to school.

⇒ Parent Training Sessions Pedestrian safety workshops provide parents, after school providers and guardians with a background on how

kids see differently than adults and how to model, coach and observe children's pedestrian habits. The brief

workshop is ideal for PTA meetings. The Family Cycling Clinic is designed to give the next generation of

cyclists (and their parents) the skills and confidence to ride their bikes on today's roads. This three-hour

weekend workshop takes children and their parents through a series of activities on their bikes while on a

playground, then the whole group goes for a brief neighborhood ride to practice their skills

⇒ Safe Routes to Schools Teachers Guide This curriculum provides teachers in grades K-5 with easy-to-teach standards-based lesson plans that include

the themes of pedestrian safety, community, health and the impact of travel on climate change. Schools can

schedule a brief presentation during their staff meeting that introduces the curriculum and provides each grade

level with one Teachers Guide.

⇒⇒⇒⇒ Walking School Bus Training and Launch This training equips parents with everything they need to launch a Walking School Bus Program, including

vests, stop signs, whistles, first aid kits and pedestrian safety training as well as logistical organization and

support. The Walking School Bus is a proven and tested method using the simple strategy of encouraging

children to walk to school in groups supervised by parents or other adults.

Together we offer:

⇒ Walk and Bike to School Days Our programs co-coordinate International Walk to School Day each October, hosting events at any interested

Berkeley Elementary School. Children who come to school via any alternative form of transportation receive

prizes and incentives. We also coordinate Bike to School Day in May. Safe Routes to School can support

schools in hosting monthly Walk and Roll to School Days to encourage regular walking and rolling to school.